Tanzania’s new president plans income tax cut, other economic changes

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May 1, 2021

FILE PHOTO: Tanzania's new President Samia Suluhu Hassan takes the oath of office following the death of her predecessor John Pombe Magufuli at State House in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania March 19, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

Tanzania’s new President Samia Suluhu Hassan said on Saturday the government would reduce the income tax rate by 1 percentage point to 8%, in the 2021/22 financial year beginning in July, and also planned to remove “unfriendly taxes and charges to Tanzanians”.

Hassan, who took office in March following the death of President John Magufuli, said in a Labour Day speech in the northern Mwanza region that the COVID-19 pandemic had hurt global economic growth, and that Tanzania’s economy had not been spared.

Her remarks were the latest acknowledgement of the coronavirus, in stark contrast to the denials of her predecessor Magufuli, who was Africa’s most prominent COVID-19 sceptic. Last month, Hassan announced she was forming a committee to research whether Tanzania should follow the course taken by the rest of the world against the pandemic

Zimbabwe Student Teachers To Get Backdated Wage Increment, Covid Allowance

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Precious Obazee

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May 1, 2021

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Zimbabwean government has bowed to pressure from student teachers after agreeing to increase their monthly pay-outs on top of the US$75 Covid-19 allowance backdated to November 1, 2020.

Trainee teachers were being paid an equivalent of US$1.50 since last year and had not received the Covid-19 allowance which was paid to other civil servants.

Last month, student teachers threatened to stage a strike over meagre payments which they attributed to the abandonment of studies by many of their colleagues.

But after successful engagements by the Council of Student Teachers (COST) , the government finally agreed to effect a lucrative allowance deal.

A letter written by the Public Service secretary Ambassador Jonathan Wutawunashe which was addressed to the general manager for Payroll Management at the Salary Service Bureau confirms the latest developments.

The letter reads “The general manager Payroll Management is advised to pay both the Student Teacher Allowance and extend the US$75 Covid-19 Allowance to Student Teachers, with effect from April 1 2021”.

Wutawunashe said the US$75 Covid-19 allowance must also be extended to student teachers as well during their time on teaching practice and should be paid concurrently with their monthly allowances in local currency after converting it at the prevailing auction exchange rate on the date of payment.

Commenting on the developments, COST president, Walter Muzamani expressed gratitude to the government for taking heed of their concerns.

DR Congo announces ‘state of siege’ in two provinces

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Henry Williams

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May 1, 2021

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FRANCE-DRCONGO-POLITICS-DIPLOMACY — Democratic Republic of Congo's President Felix Tshisekedi gestures as he gives a speech at The Elysee Presidential Palace in Paris on April 27, 2021, ahead of a working lunch with French President. (Photo by Ludovic MARIN / AFP)

The Democratic Republic of Congo announced a “state of siege” late Friday in two provinces in the east of the country wracked by violence from armed groups and civilian massacres.

“Taking into account the gravity of the situation… the president informed the cabinet of his decision to proclaim a state of siege in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri,” said Patrick Muyaya.

He said details of what the measure would entail would be released publicly in the next few hours.

Under DRC’s constitution, the president can declare either a state of emergency or a state of siege “if severe circumstances immediately threaten the independence or integrity of the national territory, or if they interrupt the regular functioning of institutions”.

On Thursday, President Felix Tshisekedi said he was preparing “radical measures” to deal with the security situation in the east of the country.

That followed the prime minister suggesting on Monday that a state of emergency might be declared in the east, “replacing the civil administration with a military administration”.

An estimated 122 armed groups of varying sizes operate in mineral-rich eastern DRC, many a legacy of regional wars in the 1990s.

In Paris on Tuesday, Tshisekedi asked France for help “eradicating” one of them, the Allied Democratic Forces, from the Beni region in North Kivu.

The ADF militia are Ugandan Islamist fighters who have made their base in eastern DRC since 1995.

Branded a jihadist organisation by Tshisekedi and the United States, the ADF has killed more than 1,200 civilians in the Beni area alone since 2017, according to a monitor called the Kivu Security Tracker (KST).

The army has conducted operations against them in the region since October 2019, but has not been able to put a stop to the massacres of civilians.

On Friday, police and soldiers in Beni used teargas and whips to disperse high-school students protesting that failure.

Several dozen students had been camping outside the town hall over the past week, demanding the departure of the UN peacekeeping force MONUSCO and for Tshisekedi to visit the troubled region.

Nigeria kidnap kingpin killed in clash with rival gang

By

Henry Williams

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May 1, 2021

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A Nigerian bandit chief who led the kidnapping of hundreds of schoolchildren has been killed in armed clashes with a rival gang, days after reneging on an amnesty deal with authorities, according to sources.

Awwalun Daudawa led the abduction of more than 500 students from Government Science Secondary School Kankara last December.

It was one of a series of mass abductions by heavily armed criminal gangs who have become an increasing security challenge in northwest and central Nigeria.

On Thursday a Zamfara state government official told correspondents Daudawa had reneged on a peace pact he made in February and returned to lead his men in the forest.

“Daudawa was killed along with four of his commanders Friday afternoon during a gun fight with a rival gang in Dumburum forest on the border with Katsina state,” a Zamfara government official said.

“He led his men on a revenge mission to avenge the death of two of his men by the rival gang during a failed raid on one of his camps last month,” said the official.

In February Daudawa along with six comrades surrendered to Zamfara state governor Bello Matawalle in his office where he handed over weapons, saying he had renounced crime, as part of the amnesty to bandits to end the cycle of violence.

Ambushed and gunned down –

But sources said Daudawa only surrendered a fraction of his weapons and maintained contact with his gangs in the forest.

Earlier this month Daudawa left his lodging in Zamfara state capital Gusau on the pretext of meeting some criminal gangs to convince them to accept a government amnesty offer and release some hostages, according to an official.

“Daudawa has been killed along with his four commanders during fighting with the men of rival bandits,” a source with deep knowledge on the activities of bandits told AFP.

“He was ambushed and gunned down while trying to take away the herd of the rival gang,” said the source.

It was not clear what impact the death of Daudawa would have on the deadly violence cattle thieves and kidnappers have unleashed in northwestern Nigeria.

Some of the Kankara schoolchildren had escaped during the December kidnapping and more than 300 more were released days later after negotiations with local officials.

State authorities always deny any ransom payments were made.

Daudawa, 43, was an armed robber and a cattle rustler before he added gun-running and kidnapping for ransom to his criminal portfolio.

He was known to have ties with Boko Haram jihadists and acted as their gunrunner, selling weapons they seize from Nigerian security personnel in the northeast to bandits in the northwest.

Nigerians Applying for Student Visa To Get Priority Appointments – U.S Country Consular

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Precious Obazee

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May 1, 2021

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The U.S. Mission will prioritise student visa applicants and ensure Nigerian students resuming this Fall get visa interview appointments well in advance of their program start date.

The U.S. Mission Country Consular Coordinator, Susan Tuller, made the announcement on Friday, stating that the Embassy in Abuja and Consulate General in Lagos will make every effort to assist student visa applicants in a timely fashion while keeping personnel and customers safe.

Tuller explained that all student visa appointments must be booked through the U.S. Travel Docs website at www.ustraveldocs.com/ng/.

She warned applicants against the use of third-party services, including touts, and fixers who broker visa appointments.

She explained that agents or third parties often seek to benefit by charging a fee for their services and they may not always provide the correct information, which can harm an applicant’s chances of qualifying for the visa.

She said “Both Nigeria and the United States benefit when Nigerian students study at one of our world-class educational institutions. To prepare for your U.S. educational opportunity, we encourage you to check out EducationUSA Advising Centers at our American Spaces in Abuja, Lagos, Ibadan, and Calabar, or at educationUSA.state.gov”.

Nigeria sends more students to American colleges and universities than any other country in Africa and is the eleventh largest source worldwide of international students to the United States.

In academic year 2019-2020, a record-breaking number of nearly 14,000 Nigerians pursued graduate and undergraduate degrees in the United States.

Four Tunisian Faculties of Medicine, Harvard Medical School Sign Agreement On Access To Harvard’s Online Learning Platform

By

Precious Obazee

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May 1, 2021

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The Faculty of Medicine of Tunis at Tunis El Manar University, the Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, the Faculty of Medicine of Sfax, and the Faculty of Medicine of Sousse have signed agreement with Harvard Medical School to offer their students access to Harvard’s online learning platform.

This is according to the Tunisia Office, Centre for Middle Eastern Studies, Harvard University, which said in a statement that a first batch of 40 undergraduate students will undertake the course in the coming academic year, with 200 students in total undertaking the course in the next five years.

The statement revealed that the access to the HMX courses is made possible by the support from the Harvard College alumnus Hazem Ben-Gacem Tunisia Medical Education Fund.

The five HMX Fundamentals courses include biochemistry, genetics, immunology, pharmacology, and physiology

According to the dean of the Faculty of Medicine of Tunis, Mohamed Jouini, implementing HMX online courses will offer an excellent opportunity to Tunisia’s medical students.

He said the first initiative will establish a fruitful and long-lasting relationship between the Faculty of Medicine of Tunis and the Harvard Medical School adding that this project comes as a great addition to a wider strategy of international cooperation for the school.

HMX courses are currently offered to students at HMS and the Harvard School of Dental Medicine, as well as through institutional partnerships around the globe.

Mbaka Asks Buhari To Resign Or Face Impeachment

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Emenike Agu

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May 1, 2021

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Fr. Ejike Mbaka, one of the spiritual leaders whose support propelled President Muhammadu Buhari’s win in 2015, has turned against him.

Mbaka, the Spiritual Director of Adoration Ministry, Enugu, asked Buahri to resign because, according to him, God is angry with the Nigerian leader.

If Buhari fails to resign, he should be impeached, Mbaka said.

Mbaka spoke at the Adoration Ministry in Enugu, in Nigeria’s South Eastern region, where he said that is wrong for Buhari to “maintain grave silence” in the face of the worsening insecurity in Africa’s most populous country.

Nigeria is going through its worst peace-time insecurity challenge, the country brought to its knees by groups of bandits and kidnappers freely roaming the countryside, highways, farmlands, and forests kidnapping people and asking for ransom.

They kidnap students, travellers, farmers, and people sleeping in their homes and ferret them into the forests from where they call relations of victims for ransoms.

“I know people will say, Mbaka did you not pray for Buhari, did Samuel not anoint Saul? What are you talking about? Am I the creator of Buhari? God created him, Nigerians trusted him because he has done well sometimes ago but now how can people just be dying?

“God will ask Nigerians: Nigerians why are you crying? We are crying because our leaders have failed us woefully. If it is in a civilized country, by now, President Buhari will resign. Quote me anywhere and let the whole world hear it. By now, with what is happening, President Buhari should honourably resign,” Mbaka said.

On Tuesday the House of Representatives asked Buhari to declare a state of emergency on security to give bite to government’s attack on the ravaging bandits and terrorists.

The call came on the heels of reports of some military bases being overrun by the terrorists, with equipment being lost to them, and more Nigerians being kidnapped or killed by the bandits.

In Kaduna State, a group of young bandits kidnapped 23 students of privately owned Greenfield University and demanded a ransom of N800 million.

So far, they have killed five of the students as the parents failed to pay the ransom.

“We are crying because we don’t have a shepherd. All those that will fight what I’m saying now will eventually suffer the rot. If you can’t do it, either you resign or you be changed. A good coach cannot watch his team defeated when he has players sitting watching on the bench. Either Buhari resigns by himself or he will be impeached,” Mbaka said.

“This statement is too mysterious and supernatural. I know that people will begin to fight it. The chief security officer consulting on lives in the country will be sitting down not making any comment.

“Gunmen are attacking everybody. Why are you crying Nigerian youths? As I said, overseas has become a dumping ground for our ingenious youths. Young doctors, lawyers, running away from Nigeria? Countries we are better than.

“What is the matter? Nigerians are crying, why? Because there is no security in this country. House of Reps and the Senate should impeach the President if he doesn’t want to resign.

“If the members of these two houses do not want to impeach him and they want to begin to fight Fr Mbaka, something worse than what they ever imagined will happen to the members of the Senate and members of the house of Rep. Disaster is coming!

“Until the government of this country find something useful for our youths, they are going to face disaster, a time is coming when, if you are asked to be a governor, senator, house of a representative member, you will begin to run because I’m trying to tell you that we cannot continue like this.

“The leaders have made the youths suffer, it is time for the civilians to make the leaders suffer. Enough of this rubbish, most of the reasons why you come here for prayers are not prayer projects, these are things government should supply. To feed, pay for house rent, even to import products from abroad, taxation has doubled, the international community cannot come to Nigeria to invest anymore. Are we living or dying?

“God is asking what is the matter, I am telling God now, let him change our leaders for us…“God is angry with our leaders, from Buhari to the last. God’s anger is upon you, you have failed God.”

Digital Switch Over Launches In Lagos, To Beam 60 Choice Channels To Households

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Emenike Agu

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May 1, 2021

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The FG launched the second phase of the Digital Switch Over in Lagos on Thursday. The Minister of Information stated that the DSO project would be beaming 60 choice channels to television households with over 1 million Set-Top-Boxes ready.

Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed disclosed this at the launch of the DSO project phase in Lagos State.

What Lai Mohammed said about the Digital Switch Over launch in Lagos

The DSO provides us with a great platform to key into the Lagos Smart City Project, which seeks to use technology to enhance service delivery in all spheres of life.
The DSO television platform, branded as FreeTV, offers its viewers about 60 digital channels, including sports, music, movies,
and news.
In addition, a large number of the 1 million jobs to be created by the DSO project in the next three years will come from Lagos. Since FreeTV helps to provide Value Added Services, the 20 Local Government Areas and 37 LCDAs in Lagos State will be supported in the collection of Television & Radio Licenses from residents.
We have over 1 million Set-Top-Boxes ready. The good news is that the Set-Top-Boxes are locally manufactured, hence more boxes are getting set to be released by the factories located across the country.

The Minister added that FreeTV will be propelled largely by advertising revenue and that the FG is optimistic by December 7th, 2022, it will complete the switch-off of analogue broadcasting on the terrestrial television platform in Nigeria.

In case you missed it

Last week, the Federal Government disclosed that Nigerian consumers will not need a new TV set after the implementation of the digital switch over, except in rare situations.

“With some rare exceptions, any TV can be converted. So to watch TV after the digital switch over, you need to attach a Set-Top-Box to your existing television or alternatively you can still watch TV if you have a built-in TV digital tuner. Note that while purchasing a Set-Top- Box, make sure it is certified and supports the DVB- T2 standard. DVB-T2 is the next development of the Digital Video Broadcasting Terrestrial standards,” the NBC statement said.

Former First Bank Chairman, Ibukun Awosika, Reacts To Sack Of Board By CBN

By

Emenike Agu

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May 1, 2021

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The immediate past Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, Mrs Ibukun Awosika, has reacted to the sack of the board of directors of the bank by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) over bad loans, corporate governance issues and others.

She insisted that the board acted in the best interest of the bank in its decisions adding that they had great plans and aspirations for where the bank could go in the near future, building on all the work that had already been done in the over 5 years since she became Chairman of the bank

The reaction is contained in a statement issued by Awosika on her Instagram page on Friday, April 30, 2021.

While going through her sojourn on the board of First Bank and its subsidiaries, Awosika said, “I have always acted in honour and integrity with the utmost interest of the institution, all our stakeholders and the Nation.”

The statement from Awosika reads, “In October 2010, I was appointed to join the board of First Bank of Nigeria.

A few months later, I was appointed to chair the board of its startup FBN Life Insurance Limited (a joint venture with Sanlam of South Africa). As its pioneer Chairman, I had the privilege of working with a strong management team led by Val Ojumah.

Together with the rest of our team, we built a company that became profitable in twenty-four months and continues to be so.

In early 2013, I was moved from FBN Life Insurance Ltd, to assume the chairmanship of FBN Capital working with a brilliant team led by Kayode Akinkugbe as the Managing Director.

We worked hard to build the institution, bought Kakawa Discount House which I was again asked by the Group to Chair. We eventually merged the companies to create the FBN quest Merchant Bank Group, which I chaired until my appointment as Chairman of First Bank of Nigeria on January 1st 2016.

For over five years, I have worked with a dedicated team of board and management, with the support of Central Bank of Nigeria to rebuild and restructure the institution for its future. This included cleaning up non-performing loans, establishing good operational governance systems and processes, building controls and an effective and robust risk management system.

I am confident we have brought First Bank of Nigeria to a place where it is more than able to deliver utmost value to its stakeholders and the nation at large.

As a board, we acted in what we clearly believed to be in the best interest of the bank and we had great plans and aspirations for where the bank could go in its future, building on all the work that has already been done in the last five plus years.

Without a shadow of doubt, I will unequivocally state that I have always acted in honour and integrity with the utmost interest of the institution, all our stakeholders and the Nation.”

In case you missed it

It can be recalled that 2 days ago, the CBN Governor, Godwin Emefiele, in a televised broadcast, announced the sack of the entire board of directors of FBN Holdings Plc and its subsidiary First Bank of Nigeria Ltd, citing insider abuse, insider credit and breakdown of corporate governance as the reason behind the action.
The CBN subsequently reinstated the removed Managing Director of the bank, Dr Sola Adeduntan, who was eased out by the board before the end of his tenure and without consultation with the apex bank.

Nigeria Dissolves 31 Of 32 Sports Federations

By

Emenike Agu

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May 1, 2021

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Only the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) which has a special status as a parastatal under the sports ministry is spared as 31 of 32 sports federations boards were dissolved.

This is in keeping with the Olympic Charter, which stipulates a four-year tenure for all sports federations boards following expiration of the tenure of the National Olympic Sports Federations,

The Minister of Youth and Sports Development Sunday Dare has dissolved the boards of 31 Sports Federation and constituted Caretaker Committees.

The Minister, who was represented by the Director of Federation, Elites Athletes Department Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development Dr. Simon Ebhojaiye, stated: “Having run a full Olympic cycle, the Boards of the NSFs inaugurated on 21 June 2017 are hereby dissolved to pave way for fresh elections.

“In order to ensure continuity in the administration of the Federations, Caretaker Committees are hereby put in place to manage the affairs of the Federations until elections are conducted and the new Boards inaugurated.”

Ebhojaiye further said:”Mindful of the Olympic Games in July 2021, the Caretaker Committees will work assiduously towards enhancing team Nigeria participation at the Games.

“The Ministry in partnership with the NOC will release in due course, the time-table for the elections into National Sports Federation Boards.”

He encouraged all Nigerians with passion and interest for Sports to contribute selflessly to the development of Sports in Nigeria by indicating interest in membership of the various National Sports Federations.

The Caretaker Committees for the 31 National Sports Federations will run the affairs of the Federations until the inauguration of the new Boards.

The Aquatic Federation of Nigeria Caretaker committee is headed by Babatunde Fatai William’s, Olumide George – Athletic Federation of Nigeria, Francis Orbih Badminton Federation of Nigeria, Eng. Musa Kida, Basketball Federation of Nigeria, Rtd General Joseph Ayeni, Nigeria Boxing Federation, DIG Sani Sani Mohammed Nigeria Chess Federation, Professor Yahaya Ukwanya Nigeria Cricket Federation, G Masari Cycling Federation of Nigeria, Abubakar Gaya Darts Federation of Nigeria, Alhaji U Nahuche Nigeria Deaf Sports Federation, Abubakar Dangaladima Fives Federation of Nigeria, Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlolola Nigeria Golf Federation, Prince Kelvin Erhurnwunse, Gymnastic Federation of Nigeria.

Others are Samuel Ochecho Handball Federation of Nigeria, Senator Andul Ningi, Nigeria Hockey Federation, Brig Gen. Z L Abubakar, Nigeria Judo Federation, Sila Agara, Karate Federation of Nigeria, Yakubu Abubakar Kickboxing Federation of Nigeria, Arc. Adewunmi Adekunle, Nigeria Wushu Kungfu Federation, Rtd Rear Admiral Porbeni Festus, Nigeria Rowing, Canoeing and Yatching Federation, Comrade Iyorchia Grace Nigeria Rugby Federation.

Suleman Gora Nigeria Scrabble Federation, Maj. General Johnny Hamakim, Nigeria Shooting Federation, Oyerinde Adeboye, Nigeria Squash Federation, Chief Tikon Ishayaku, Nigeria Table Tennis Federation, Mrs. Margaret Binga, Nigeria Taekwondo Federation, Akindoju Olaoye Nigeria Tennis Federation, Usman Musa Traditional Sports Federation of Nigeria, Musa Nimrod, Nigeria Volleyball Federation, Tonobok Okowa, Nigeria Weightlifting Federation.